I
fell totally in love with the city. I expected
the tall buildings, the bright lights, the busy restaurants, big crowds and the frantic
energy. It was what I didn’t expect that
made New York so wonderful. I didn’t
expect to find such a huge, beautiful park in the very center of Manhattan. I didn’t expect to find so many wonderfully
livable neighborhoods with lots of trees and grass. I
didn’t expect everyone to be so nice, I mean really, really nice. I
had trouble finding a small obscure café and asked a stranger on the sidewalk for help. Not only was the café pointed out to me, I was
given a complete glowing review of the restaurant as well as additional dining
suggestions. Later, I found myself totally
confused while looking for a transfer point in the New York subway during rush hour and
stopped a commuter to ask for directions. Not
only did he stop, he smiled, agreed that the signs were confusing, led me to a wall map,
carefully traced the route for me, then left with a wave and the words “enjoy the
city”. I had heard stories about the
rudeness of waiters and waitresses, but found
them all to be wonderful. I was warned of the
boorish and abusive behavior of taxi drivers, but instead found politeness and
professionalism. Granted, they drive like
crazy when they have the opportunity. But,
given the traffic congestion the opportunity is rare. |
